A la tienne! 2019

Curator: Cricorps created this spirited acrylic and ink work in 2019, and it is titled "A la tienne!" Editor: It’s certainly… exuberant. The composition feels chaotic, almost like a deconstructed cocktail party. But the title, “Cheers!” seems so jovial in contrast. Curator: It strikes me as a commentary on social rituals around alcohol consumption. The repeated glasses, the gesturing hands... it speaks to conviviality and perhaps also the slight loss of control associated with drinking. Editor: I agree that the imagery emphasizes abundance, maybe even excess. However, stylistically, it feels tied to Fauvism, with the bright, non-naturalistic colors—and a bit of Pop Art in the flatness and graphic quality. It is as if a Matisse still life decided to spend the night out on the town. What do you make of the segmentation within the shapes? Curator: That fractured rendering is key! It breaks the objects down into constituent parts but contains an interplay of positive and negative space that asks, what do these components stand for in and of themselves, versus the object whole? Are they whole without one another? Editor: The hands especially have this interesting incompleteness, as does all the implied geometry within the glassware. It creates a kind of tension. They become a graphic representation of fragmented identities meeting for drinks, not complete in themselves but trying to constitute something larger together. Curator: A poignant observation, given the inherently temporary nature of such social gatherings. Everything’s outlined, like stained glass, a deliberate separation between forms as the party rages. Editor: Right, and in that way the symbolism speaks to contemporary social anxiety, about the temporary states that are now a social fixture, something the bright hues attempt to conceal or overcome through force of sheer aesthetic appeal. Well, this conversation certainly provided plenty to savor! Curator: Indeed, much to reflect on in what seemed like just a toast!